Combination game and individual player instruction sheet therefor



Dec. 31, 1935. R. G. WILLIAMS COMBINATION GAME AND INDIVIDUAL PLAYER INSTRUCTION SHEET THEREFOR Filed March 7, 1932 3 SheeiS-Sheec l Dec. 31, 1935 R. G. WILLIAMS COMBINATION GAME AND INDIVIDUAL PLAYER INSTRUCTION SHEET THEREFOR Filed March 7, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @N7 RN n u XN mwN.

22o-25nd Dec. `31, `1935. y R G' WlLLlAMS- A l COMBINATION GAME AND INDIVIDUAL PLAYER INSTRUCTION SHEET THEREFOR Patented Dec. 3l, 1935 UNITED STATES COMBINATION GAME AND INDIVIDUAL f PLAYER INSTRUCTION SHEET THERE- FOR Raymond G. Williams, Providence, R. I.

Application March 7, 1932, Serial No. 597,349

8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in combination game and individual player instruction sheets therefor, particularly adapted for a so called game of chance, wherein the element of luck, in awarding as by adeal more favorable tokens to one player than to another, comes in play. While my invention is adapted ,for use in any type of game of chance employing play tokens having chance indicia thereon, it is `particularly adapted for games of cards. y

The preferred embodiment of my invention shown is particularly adapted for an instruction sheet for playing various hands of contract bridge, although it is obvious that it may be l5 applied for teaching or playing poker or any other card game or any other of the various variations of whist such as plain whist, bridge whist, auction bridge whist, and more particularly contract bridge whist, where the skill in bidset of rules have grown up which is hard for a novice to readily learn. n

To these ends, I have taken a complete set of at play tokens such as a set of fty-two playing cards, having the usual chance indicia such as the usual card indicia printed on one side thereof, arranged them in individual groups as in play, provided an instruction sheet for each player group, having player instruction indicia and preferably also token order of play indicia on one side thereof, and also if desired, token stubs including not only said token order of play indicia, but indicia of the various tokens thereon; and I have combined these four individual player instruction sheets and also preferably its respective group of play tokens, such as cards, for cach player into a single flat unitary sheet by providing means to detachably hingedly secure each player group of tokens to each player instruction sheet, printed Sides coincident, and means to detachably hingedly secure the player sheets together with the printed sides coincident to form a single sheet printed on one side including not only the chance tokens, but also individual instruction sheet-s for each player.

When it is desired to play the game, it is merely necessary to lay the single sheet face side down, revolve it until any hand thereof comes adjacent to the desired player, then by tearing fr.) or otherwise undoing the detachable hinge means' between the various player instruction sheets, I

provide one for each player preferably with his individual play tokens attached thereto so that each individual player may be provided with his 5.5 individual play tokens and his individual instrucding is quite intricate, and where an intricate tion sheet without the other'players'seeinglit. When each player is thus' provided with'his iristruction sheet preferably containing stubs for play tokens, and preferably also the playftokens themselves detachably secured thereto, he pref- 5 erably receives a complete set of instructions ln "i not only how to bid h isvhand,`but also how to play his hand andif desired for a 4discussion afterwards a reviewl of his hand.` Y

It is Obvious that myunit may also be employed 1,70 for socalled duplicate gamesof whlst if th'eindividual instruction sheets are providedwith the token stubs so that either the detachedftokens themselves or other tokens may be individually sorted in accordancewith said stubs'fora supl5 plemental game by anon-player o'r iny turn 'by each individual player from a `cominon pack so that the instruction may be used ovr'againjor applied to a different player lgroup vwith one single unit of my invention.' And it'is alsoapparent that the individual play sheet may be' provided with token stubs thereon and Withou the tokens detachably securedthereto."

It is Obvious, therefore,` thatI have'providedY a means of learning 'a game by actually playing itmll and one which may be readily adapted for 'instructing the details of a certain system of bidding or playing the game such as the various systems of bidding and playing contract bridge in vogue today. I thus provide in a single unit, not only a complete set, of play tokensvsuch asV cards, but with the cards individually arranged in player groups as dealt 'or otherwise sorted for n play and with complete individual player instruction sheets' therefor, indicating the score, 85 instructions how to bid, instructionshowto play, an actual criticism of each individual hand, all combined into a single flat unit which may be readily folded along the detachable hinge means for attaching each individual player instruction 40 ysheet together for mailing purposes and which may be readily laid flat on a table, printed side down so as to conceal the other tokens and the other instruction sheets from the other players, torn into the'desired number of player parts, U5 as in my preferred embodiments, quartered for the usual four players at bridge along the detachable hinge means so that each player may not only be provided with a dealt hand for use as in play, but also complete instructions for playing 50 that hand without any of the other players having knowledge of his hand. It is also obvious that any desired rearrangement of the cards in a different players hand may be marde so that different units of my invention may afford dif- 56 `provided a Vsingle-.unit -providing the resultA of .having thek best type -of instructor .individually behind leach individualto 'guide .his properl bidferent Aplay possibilities .and different instruction zsheetsftherefor.

"Whenthe hands are .-thus arranged,.it isV obof I contract orfor 4lplaying according vto the*v best known manner. I`It" is thus obvious that'Ifhave ding :and playing, :taking into consideration a similar expert instruction or procedure Von the part of thepartner or opponenhso that each individual player is not only giventhe benefit of the best :individual instruction but-is playing against the -best type of players-who are following their own individualinstructions. It is thus apparent that my invention makesit possible to give inlstruction directly applicable to particular deals or 4situations which wouldnotbecovered in a gen- Vdingor playing, in contrastato a book instruction which isvery difficult to find where absolutely required tol meet a given situation. The effect is, therefore, that in teaching a game of contract according to .my improved system, it is not necessary for each individual'player-to thumb throughaninstruction .book until he is able to figure up the bid applicable to his own particular situation, but he is advised of the proper bidA with the -reasons for so-doing on his individual instruction sheet right in front of him, but concealed from 'the other players.

A further .feature of my invention is that it provides an excellent means of following and understandingan unusual hand playedby experts, thus :when a national-contract bridge titleis being contested .for,venablingzwithin, a short space of time players all over'the country to-actually play and bid the hands according to the best instruction of rival experts, thus making it possible for individual contract fans all over the country to actually be in the shoes of contesting experts and know the why and reasons for each of theA experts play. Thus, in an international bridge contest, it would be possible to provide the fans all over the country soon after each title play with both the cards and instructionsheets where- .by it would be possible for any fan in any part of thecountry to playthe actual handsplayed in these Hinternational contests and obtain the .benet of the instruction -of each individual expert playing therein vas actually played in the ltitle contest.

tion in games of chance would otherwise be prohibitive.

These and suchv other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood froma description of the accompanying 5 'drawings which illustrate an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a complete combination game and individual player instruction sheet constructed in accordance with tached from other individual player instruction sheets. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view of the embodiment of my inventionv shown in Fig. 1 illustrating how the individual player 'instruction sheets may be readily detached from a common player instruction sheet along the detachable linear hingemeans securing said individual play- 20 Ier instructie-n sheets together without indicating to other players either the play tokens or the matter on the individual instruction sheets. Fig. 4 isa pian view showing how my invention may be folded along the detachable hinge means 25 for detachably securing each player instruction sheet together so that it may readily be shipped if desired through the mail.

In the drawings, where like characters of reference generally indicate like parts throughout, 80 I0 generally indicates a combination game and individual player instruction sheet therefor constructed in accordance with my invention. While my invention may be adapted for use with any type of tokens having ychance indicia thereon, it 85 is particularly adapted. as shown for use with a game of cards; and includes a preferably complete set I2 of flat play tokens I4 each having chance indicia I6 printed or otherwise marked on one side thereof, said tokens being preferably@ arranged into individual player groups |23, I2b,

I 2c, I2d as'dealt orotherwise sorted for play, an individual instruction sheet I8 for eachplayer, such as `the sheets I8, I8b, IBC, and I8d having vplay instruction indicia 20, 20h, 20, and 20d and 45 also-token order of play indicia 22, 22h, 22, and 22d printed on one side thereof, said sheets being also preferably provided near their outside edges with token stubs 24e, 24h, 24C, and 24d including individual token indicia, 26a, 26", 26c and 26d 50 and token order of play indicia 22, 22h, 22, and 22d for its adjacent group preferably along an edge thereof. I also provide means to preferably detachably hingedly secure each token group I2, I2b, I2C, and I2d preferably each individual token 55 I4 thereof `to each player instruction sheet I 8, Ish, |80, and IIId preferably along the outside edge thereof so that the printed matter on each player instruction sheet will be coincident with the printed matter on the other sheets and so that 60 the vchance indicia on each token will be on the same fiat side of. each flat token as the printed matter on its corresponding instruction sheet I2, I2b, I2C, and I2d. -While said detachable hinge means for joining the tokens to the player instruction sheets may consist of any suitable detachable hinge means, it preferably as shown consists of a scored or perforated line 30a, 30', 30C, and 3Ild permitting individual tokens to pivot along'said lines andpermitting a ready separation 70 of the tokens therefrom to play them on the table with the tokens of the other players to make up each individual playing trick. It is also obvious that the detachable hinge means permits a pivoting of each individual card upwards from its individual playing sheet so that if the hands of the player are momentarily engaged, he may lay his player sheet flat on the table, pivot his tokens upward so that `he may readily pore .over both the individual tokens and instruction sheet therefor. It is thus obvious that I have thus far ldescribed an individual player instruction sheet |81 with its attached token group |21 as shown in Fig. 2. To make up my complete unit, however, ,I also provide means 32 to detachably hingedly secure the individual player sheets |811, |81, |8c, and |811 preferably with the attached groups of tokens |29, |21), I2C, and |211' where employed together with the the printed sides of each player instruction sheet I8, |81), |8c, and I811 and attached token group I2, |211, I2C, and |211 where employed coincident to form a single sheet III having both the player sheet instruction indicia 20, 281, 28, and 2|)d and the token chance indicia I6 printed or otherwise indicated on the same side thereof.

Approaching my invention from a slightly different angle I provide a combination game and individual player instruction sheet therefor, cornprising a flat sheet of multiedged paper having the outer edges thereof divided by spaced cuttings 34 into a plurality of flat play tokens I4, each having chance indicia on one side I6 thereof and arranged into individual groups |211, |211, |211, and |21i as in play for each individual player along each individual outside edge of said sheet I0, as dealt or otherwise sorted in play. I then provide detachable linear hinge means 30B, 301i,I 38C, and 3011, dividing said groups |211, |21), I2C, and |211 of tokens from a central play instruction portion I8 and detachable linear hinge means 32 dividing said central portion into a set of individual instruction sheets |8, |81), |811, and |811, one for each player, each of. said instruction sheets having play instruction indicia 28, 201?, 280, and 2|)d and preferably token stubs 24e, 241, 24, and 2411, including individual token indicia 2611, 26', 26C, and 2611 and token order of play indicia 22, 2211, 222, 22d along each edge thereof for each adjacent respective token group |25, |21, |20, and I2d to form a single sheet Il) foldablev-along said cletachable hinge means 32 for joining said individual players sheet |88, I8, |81", and |811 together, having both play instruction and chance indicia on the same side thereof. As shown more particularly in Fig. 2 the play or instruction indicia 2011 may be further subdividedinto the following:

indicia 35, indicating the general name of the hand, indicia 38 for the score, indicia 38, in-

cluding specific `bidding instruction, indicia 4|),4

including specific playing instructionand indicia `|52, including a general review of the hand. If

desired general scoring or bidding instructions may be printed on the back of each individual sheet Ill and if also desired advertisingmatter may be otherwise printed on either side of. my,

hands may consist of replicas of hands actually dealt in international or other tournaments and the instruction including the thoughts of the individual players while playing said actual hands in said tournament, or of course, each individual deal may represent certain hypothetical Vdeals or certain stacked deals definitely made up to illustrate any particularpoint in teaching. It is apparenttherefore that each individual player is given individual instruction in the best known method of howto bid and play his individual hand and if desired with a general ref where advertising or other matter is also printed on my invention When said invention is used in a game of bridge whist and in which the west instruction sheet |811' isfor the dummy and' includes printedrnatter such as for advertising thereon with the invented type 44 running in the opposite direction from that of said instruction indicia 281i, thus being more readily observable by all the players when said dummy hand |21i and play sheet 2011 is laid on the table for playas dummy with the card group |21 thereof conveniently adjacent to dummys partner for the ready playing thereof.

In actually playing a contract bridge hand in accordance with my invention the individual unit-s of my invention I0 may -be sold either flat or may be folded as shown in Fig. 4 along the detachable linear hinge means 32. While said sheets I Il are folded as shown in Fig. 4 for shipping purposes, it is obvious that for play they are then opened up and laid flat on the table as shown Ain Fig. 3. The individual sheet In may then be spun around until anylfadjacent edge thereof comes adjacentto any player, thus forming a slightly further element of chance in de- .particular desirable feature of my invention.'`

ciding" which groups of cards willgo io which` individual person. An individuall tlicn detachee each individual hinge means 32, in my preferred embodiment asshown by tearing along each individual hinge means 32 to divide the initial player instruction sheet I0 into' four parts with said individual sheets Illa, :|812 IBC, |81i face down on the table. Each partner then may pick up his individual `sheet I8, |811, IUC and |811 with its proper group of tokens |28, |211, I2C, and |21 attached thereto and hold them in his hand without the other.players seeing what is in his individual hand. He simultaneously receives deflnite instructions stating what the score is, a denite instruction tellingr him how to bid according to the best known practice of any desirable system or following the actual bidding by experts, such as in a tournament. He then is also given if desired play instruction according to the best teachings of experts and when the hand is all over if desired a general review of the situation stating a why or wherefore for each individual bid or play. The hands are first bid as is usual in contract and then each individual card is played in accordance 4with the individual order of playin'dicia22. to employ my improved'invention in duplicate bridge, it is obvious that either previously detached and played tokens |2 or other tokens l2 may be assorted into individual groups according to the token indica 26e. 261. 26C, and 25d on cach individual stub 2411, 241), '246, and 2411 for playing the same hand over 'again either with the same tokens, or with other tokens and it fis rf it is desired obvious that my invention may be employed omitting entirely the tokens I2 but employing the token stubs 24 for use with other sorted tokens. The token stubs 24 also permit a timely discussion of the hand by all the players, particularly in line with the review 42 as they form indication of what each player held in each hand and how he might have played it. If for instance, any of the players think that they could improve on their instructions by bidding or playing the hand according to their own ways they are at liberty to reconstruct their hands according to the players stubs and play over again according to their own ideas, or otherwise any number of times desired the same hand. In this manner an amateur is enabled to discover the practicability of a rule, such as the well known rule of eight which might otherwise seem foolish to him by illustrating how in practice it is oftentimes a better play than his owncommon horse sense. It is obvious that any suitable type of detachable hinge means may be provided, such as by constructing the entire sheet out of a readily frangible material and providing an indication line as to Where said material may be fractured. In4

my preferred embodiment, however,lboth my improved detachable linear hinge means 30E, 30", 30 and 30d and detachable linear hinge means 32 comprise either completely perforated lines or partially scored lines to render the sheet mechanically Weak so as to tear readily on a straight line along said detachable hinge means. It is thus obvious that I have provided a novel type l of combination game and individual player instruction sheet therefor with the advantages' claimed above.

In the claims I employ the words play instruction. to include where the game played includes the same either bidding or actual playing instruction or both.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown and that various deviations may be made therefrom Without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A combination game and individual player instruction sheet therefor, comprising, in combination, an instruction sheet for each player having play instruction indicia thereon and token stubs arranged into individual player groups as in play along each outside edge thereof having individual token indicia and token order of play indicia on the same side thereof, said sheets yhaving the inner sides thereof detachably secured to the adjacent inner sides of adjacent instruction sheets to form a single sheet made up of said instruction sheets having play instruction indicia and token chance indicia on the same side thereof and a complete set of flat play tokens arranged into individual player groups as in play in accordance with the token stubs of each instruction sheet, each detachably secured to its respective token stub with the indicia sides of said tokens and instruction sheets coincident.

2. A combination game and individual player instruction sheet therefor, comprising, in combination, an instruction sheet for each player having play instruction indicia thereon and token stubs arranged into individual player groups as in play along each outside edge thereofy having individual token order of play indicia on the same side thereof, said sheets having the inner sides thereof detachably secured to the adjacent inner sides of adjacent instruction sheets to form a single sheet made up of said instruction sheets having play instruction indicia and token chance indicia on the same side thereof and a complete set of flat play tokens arranged into individual player groups as in play in accordance with the 5 token stubs of each instruction sheet, each detachably secured to its respective token stub with the indicia side of said token and instruction sheet coincident.

3. A combination game and individual player instruction sheet therefor, comprising, in combination, an instruction sheet for each player having play instruction indicia thereon and card stubs arranged into individual player groups as in play along each outside edge thereof having individual card indicia for certain of 52 playing cards and card order of play indicia on the same side thereof, and said sheets having the inner sides thereof detachably secured to the adjacent inner sides of adjacent instruction sheets to form a single sheet made up of said instruction sheets having play instruction indicia and card indicia on the same side thereof and a complete set of cards arranged into individual player groups as in play in accordance with the card stubs of each instruction sheet, each detachably secured to its respective cardA stub with the indicia sides of said cards and instruction sheets coincident.

4. A combination bridge Whist game and individual player instruction sheet therefor, comprising in combination, an instruction sheet for each player having play instruction indicia thereon and card stubs arranged into individual player groups of 13 as in play along each outside edge thereof having individual card indicia for l5 certain of 52 playing cards and card order of play indicia on the same side thereof and having the inner sides thereof detachably secured to the adjacent inner sides of adjacent instruction sheets lto form a single sheet made up of four of said instruction sheets having play instruction indicia and card indicia on the same side thereof and a complete set of flat cards arranged into individual player groups of `13 as in play in accordance with the card stubs of each instruction sheet, one of said instruction sheets being for the dummy and having printed matter thereon with type running in the opposite direction from that of said instruction indicia more readily observable by all the players when said dummy hand and play sheet is laid on the table for play as the dummy hand with the cards thereof adjacent the dummys partner.

5. An instruction sheet for a card game, such -as whist, contract or auction bridge or the like, comprising a unitary sheet scored on quadrant forming lines and readily separable by the players along the scored lines into a plurality of individual instruction sheets, one for each player, each of the individual instruction sheets having playing instructions for that player thereon, and also detachably secured thereto a plurality of playing cards, the group of cards attached to each individual instruction sheet constituting a hand for the game to be played, the cards being detached and played by the several players in the same manner as ordinary cards are played.

6. An instruction sheet for a card game, such for example, as whist, contract or auction bridge, comprising a unitary sheet scored on quadrant forming intersecting lines so that it can readily be separated along the scored lines into four individual instruction sheets. one for each player, each of the individual instruction sheets having playing instructions for that player thereon, and

also having detachably secured thereto a plurality of miniature playing cards, the group of A`miniature cards attached to each individual sheet constituting a hand for that player, the miniature cards being detached and played by the several players in the same manner as ordinary full-sized cards are played.

7. In an instructor for card games, such as whist, contract or auction bridge, or the like the combination of a plurality of instruction units, one for each player, each instruction unit having playing instructions thereon and also having a plurality of playing cards detachably secured thereto, the cards attached to each instruction unit constituting a hand to which the playing instructions on that unit apply.

8. An instructor for card games, such as whist or contract or auction bridge, comprising a sheet member containing playing instructions for a particular deal of the cards, and a plurality of card-indicating members, for delineating particular hands, detachably secured to the sheet member, the playing instructions on the sheet member being specific to particular hands as delineated by the card-indicating members, the cardindicating members being adapted for separation from the instruction sheet before or during the play of the cards.

RAYMOND G. WILLIAMS. 

